Gabriel Diallo: ‘I Believe That I Have The Potential’ | ATP Tour | Tennis

Gabriel Diallo remembers when he started to overlook extra college to practise tennis and compete in tournaments aged 10. His mother and father sat him down to clarify why he was in a unique scenario than his buddies and classmates.

“They requested me how I felt about it. I thought of it, and I did not see it as a sacrifice, as a result of I actually loved it,” Diallo informed ATPTour.com. “I loved practising and I loved enjoying.”

From a younger age, Diallo dreamt of changing into an expert tennis participant. “I all the time needed to win Slams. Each child goes by that part,” he stated.

It was round this time when Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal in an unforgettable five-hour, 53-minute Australian Open last in 2012.

“I keep in mind I used to be making an attempt to play like him and imitate his sliding and simply shifting and simply not lacking the ball,” Diallo recalled. “Me and my buddies on the time, we have been making an attempt to recreate that match, truly.”

Though Diallo has not but reached that degree, he has ascended rapidly. The Canadian, whose father is from Guinea and mom is from Ukraine, performed faculty tennis on the College of Kentucky earlier than turning skilled on the finish of 2022. Final August, he received an ATP Challenger Tour title in Granby, Canada, earlier than reaching one other last at that degree in Fairfield in October.

This week final yr, Diallo was World No. 679 within the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. Now he’s World No. 141 and persevering with to push ahead. On Tuesday, the Canadian will attempt to earn his first ATP Tour predominant draw win when he performs former World No. 5 Kevin Anderson within the first spherical of the Infosys Hall of Fame Open.

“It is a privilege and it is a reward for the exhausting work that me and my crew have put in,” Diallo stated. “I feel it is an awesome alternative to see the place my degree is at. A man like him has a lot expertise and is without doubt one of the greatest gamers on the earth.”

It’s not typically opponents of Anderson’s come near the South African within the peak division, however each males stand 6’8”.

“It is a man that clearly I seemed as much as as a result of I used to be all the time informed that I used to be going to have his dimension, type of his physique sort [being] tall, however can nonetheless transfer and may nonetheless play,” Diallo stated. “I obtained everybody. I obtained Kevin AndersonI obtained [Marin] Cilic, I obtained Milos [Raonic]. Even once I was like 5’10” at 15, folks knew that I used to be going to be tall.”

By 17, Diallo grew to six’3”. Annually from then on he grew progressively earlier than his development was full, in accordance with medical doctors. Now the Canadian is a strong presence making an attempt to exert his will on opponents on the high of the game.

“There’s so some ways to play tennis, there’s guys that really feel snug shifting facet to facet and simply making an attempt to counter assault. There are guys that thrive enjoying like this. And there are guys which might be the exact opposite like me,” Diallo stated. “I play my greatest and I’ve my most probabilities once I take my recreation to my opponent, when I attempt to disturb as a lot as I can. Clearly, I am not making an attempt to offer him rhythm. And it is excessive threat, nevertheless it’s additionally excessive reward. So it feels good. I feel that is the place I really feel my greatest and once I play my greatest.”

Though Diallo has surged greater than 500 locations within the Pepperstone ATP Rankings prior to now 12 months, he understands that persevering with at this tempo won’t be simple.

“The climb is just not all the time linear. It is not all the time going upwards, there’s going to be moments the place you are going to be slightly bit extra regular, there’s going to be moments the place it should go down,” Diallo stated. “Clearly final summer time and final fall, the whole lot occurred actually quick and issues modified for me. But it surely’s not the fact of our sport. It is extraordinarily uncommon. It is in uncommon circumstances that you simply simply shoot [upwards] nonstop.”

One participant who climbed quickly to the very high of the game is Happy Auger-Alsoone other Canadian whose ascent was “actually inspiring” to Diallo. Auger-Aliassime’s father, Sam Aliassime, is a former coach of Diallo’s. What did the 21-year-old be taught from the daddy of the High 15 star?

“I might say the identical as my mother and father, self-discipline and exhausting work. Conserving your head down, regardless of the scenario,” Diallo stated. “When the end result is not sure, simply attempt your hardest. And respect. It would not actually differ from what my mother and father taught me, however I might say that that is the principle factor that was arising.”

Off the courtroom, Diallo is like many 21-year-olds. He loves motion pictures and TV reveals in addition to spending time together with his buddies and girlfriend. The Canadian additionally enjoys the seashore and swimming in addition to consuming. His favourites embody pizza, burger and a pleasant steak. Diallo can even work remotely in the direction of finishing a Bachelor’s Diploma in finance starting subsequent semester. He has simply three courses left.

On the courtroom, Diallo has lots of the targets you’ll anticipate: cracking the world’s High 100 and enjoying in the principle draw on the majors. However his greatest need is extra philosophical.

“I might say my dream is basically to satisfy my full potential, as a result of clearly, folks round me imagine that I’ve a giant recreation and that I can climb up the rankings. But it surely begins with me,” Diallo stated. “I additionally imagine that I’ve the potential. So I simply wish to maximise my recreation and wherever that takes me, I will have the ability to sleep at evening, and I will be extraordinarily glad and pleased with myself.”